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REPORT 



OF THE 



Milk Commission 



TO THE 



GOVERNOR OF HAWAII 

NOVEMBER 14. 1910 




HONOLCLr: 

Mercantile Printing Co., Ltd. 
1910 



fd- s^-^^- / 



REPORT 



OF THE 



Milk Commission 



TO THE 



GOVERNOR OF HAWAII CT.^ 

NOVEMBER 14, 1910 




honolcld: 

Mercantile Printing Co., Ltd. 

1910 



November 14, 1910. 
The Honorable Walter F. Frear, 

Governor of The Territory of Hawaii. 

SIR: — In accordance with Joint Resolution No. 4, approved 
April 15, -1909, we beg leave to report as follows : 

The Resolution required the Milk Commission to thoroughly 
examine and investigate the Regulations of the Board of Health; 
the laws of the Territory and any ordinances of the City and 
County of Honolulu, safeguarding the sale of milk and control of 
dairies, and the manner of the enforcement of the said laws so 
far as they affect the City and County of Honolulu. 

The Commission confined its enquiries to the diaries supplying 
the City of Honolulu with milk. There are in all some 46 regis- 
tered or licensed dairies supplying Honolulu j of these, three are 
some distance from Honolulu viz, Kahuku, Mokuleia and Kunea, 
the last mentioned dairy supplying only cream. In addition to the 
above, there are several private dairies, selling such milk to neigh- 
bors as is not used by the owners. 

The 46 dairies give Honolulu a suply of about 4,500 ciuarts of 
milk per day. Of this, some 1,600 quarts is delivered in bottles 
and the balance is peddled in cans or containers of various kinds 
and degrees. The Honolulu Dairymen's Association handles about 
2,500 quarts of this milk per day from eight dairies. 

Of the 46 registered dairies the Commission inspected 42, in- 
cluding the dairies at Mokuleia and Kunea and Kahuku. The con- 
ditions found were such as to call for action of some kind, with a 
view to improvement. 

Many of the dairies inspected were found to be in an unsatis- 
factory condition, first as to location. At least 25 of them were 
in locations that prevent their being run on a sanitary basis. 
During the rainy season they are more or less mud holes, and a 
good deal of this mud is bound to get into the milk. In such 
surroundings it is impossible to run a sanitary dairy. Sixteen 
dairies were found to be in very poor condition so far as sanita- 
tion is concer^ed. In many of these no suitable provision was 



made for the disposal of tbe excreta of the cows. In more than 
one instance it was dumped alongside the barn, where the cows 
were milked. 

In point of construction many of the dairies need improve- 
ment. Eight dairies have wooden floors, 16 concrete, 10 concrete 
and stone ; four have dirt floors and four have no shed or barn, 
the cows being milked in the open paddock. jMany of the concrete 
floors are badly cracked and filled with dirt, which does not con- 
duce to the production of clean milk. 

In only one instance did we find the water used for dairy 
[)urposes contaminated. 

There is great room for improvement in the method of milk- 
ing. Five dairymen were frank in their admission that they 
never troubled to clean the udders of the cows or wash their 
hands before milking, while twelve others stat(^d that they washed 
the udders when very dirty, otherwise they did not. This state 
of affairs should not be allowed to exist. 

In the matter of milk rooms and cooling of milk, Ave found a 
woeful lack. Seventeen dairies had absolutely no provision for 
either storing or cooling of the milk produced, and yet the milk 
is kept from one to four hours before delivery to customers, and 
has undoubtedly to stand from two to three hours l)efore the 
customers awake in the morning to receive their milk. Twelve 
dairymen used water for cooling purposes. One instance of how 
inadequate this system is came to our notice, Avhen it was dis- 
covered that a five gallon oil can was used to cool milk in a 12 
quart milk can. By no stretch of the imagination, can anyone con- 
ceive of such a system being sufficient. 

An instance has -jome to the notice of the Commission, wlierc 
milk was kept in a small room along with the family washing ; in- 
stances were also noted where milk was kept in a place to which 
dogs had access. 

In the matter of cleaning of utensils used in uiilking and in 
the transportation of milk, there exist A^ery loose and insanitary 
methods. Most of the dairies clean the utensils with hot water, 
sometimes using soap or pearline. After cleaning, the utensils are 
hung up in all sorts of places; m rear of .the family ktichen or 
l)ath room ; alongside of drain pipes and sinks. This exposure of 
the utensils will not ensure a supply of clean milk. 



PRESENT LAWS AND REGULATIONS 

The only Territorial hnv affecting the sale of milk is that 
passed in 1898 and amended in 1903. This law was Icnown as the 
Territorial Food Law and had a section fixing the standard of 
milk, allowing two and one-half per cent (2i/l>%) butter fat and 
eleven and one-half per cent (111/2%) solids. 

In addition to the aliove, the late Mr. R. A. Duncan informed 
us that he sometimes prosecuted cases under a section of the law 
forbidding the sale of decomposed articles of food. 

The Territorial Board of Health have regulations, relating to 
the construction of stables. 

The best apparent law or ordinance passed so far, however, 
is County Ordinance No. 17 called "AN ORDINANCE PRO- 
VIDING FOR THE INSPEC;TI0N of MILK AND DAIRIES 
AND DAIRY COWS, AND REGULATING THE SALE OF. MILK, 
AND PROHIBITING AND PUNISHING THE DISPOSITION OF 
UNWHOLESOaiE, BIPURE OR ADULTERATED MILK IN 
THE CITY AND COUNTY OF HONOLULU." 

This ordinance was introduced on February 8, 1910, and re- 
ceived the approval of tbe IVIayor of the City and County of Ho- 
nolulu on March 21, 1910. and should have taken effect thirty 
days after approval. 

The "criticisms we have to offer on the County Ordinance are: 

1. That four moutlis- the tii)ie allowed an applicant for a 
permit— appears to be too long a time within which to have the 
cows tested; it would be better for the cows to be tested before 
the milk from the same was allowed to be sold; 

2. IN REGARD TO THE REVOCATION OF A PERMIT 
GRANTED. It would be almost impossible to obtain the unani- 
mous consent of the Board of Supervisors of the City and 
County of Honolulu to the revocation of a permit for the first 
offense. Such matters would be better left to a committee of the 
Board of Supervisors or the officers having the enforcement of 
the ordinance in hand. Nothing whatever is said as to what pro- 
cedure is to be followed in case of a second or susbequent offense. 

3. There is practically nothing in the ordinance regulating 
the conditions surrounding the production of milk beyond the 



vague words "Milk drawn from cows kept in an unhealthy or un- 
sanitary condition." 

The enforcement of this ordinance is left to the Milk Inspec- 
tor or Inspectors, under the supervision of the City and County 
Physicians. We are informed that to date, this ordinance has not 
been enforced and that it will not be enforced until January 1911. 
The excuse given for this delay is that the cows were being tested 
by the Territorial Veterinarian, Dr. Norgaard, and his Assistant Dr. 
Case. These tests so far as Honolulu is concerned are practically 
finished and there appears to be no reason why the ordinance 
should not have been enforced immediately upon becoming law. 
The testing of the cows would not seem to be excuse enough for al- 
lowing the sale of milk with a bacterial count of 18,000,000 per 
cubic centimeter as proved by the bacterial counts made by Dr. 
L. N. Case in samples taken by members of the Commission. 
These samples were purchased from milk wagons and taken to Dr. 
Case at once, and examined by him without delay. In all, four 
samples were examined. These showed an average of 5,099,000 
bacteria per cubic centimeter. The highest being 18,900,000 and 
the lowest 50,000 bacteria per cubic centimeter. It is to be re- 
gretted that other samples taken and sent were not examined for 
want of time. 

The condition of many of the dairies in regard to the dis- 
posal of the stable sweepings, shows an unfortunate lack of su- 
pervision. 

The Commission feels that too great care cannot be exercised 
in the enforcement of all ordinances and regulations re the produc- 
tion, handling and sale of milk, and the conduct of dairies. Milk 
is one of the most easily contaminated of foods. It forms the only 
article of diet of infants, and is used by all who can afford to 
buy it; it is therefore necessary that the utmost care be exercised. 

The average price of milk in Honolulu is higher than in cities 
of the Mainland. This is due to two reasons: 

1. The high cost of feeding in Honolulu; 

2. The fact that cows will not produce as much milk in a 
warm climate as in a cold one. 

6 



RECOMMENDATIONS 

• Taking the above conditions and facts as they are, we respect- 
fully beg to make the following recommendations: 

I. That the full control of the dairies supplying milk to Ho- 
nolulu be given to the Board of Agriculture and Forestry, a sepr.- 
rate Dairy Department or Division being formed, if necessary, for 
carrying out the work effectively. 

The reasons for this recommendation are that : 

(a) The dairies will receive the benefit of the Scientific Su- 
pervision of experts in dairy matters, which will be of benefit 
to the community; 

(b) It will remove from local politics, and place under per- 
manent and systematic supervision, an important article of diet ; 

II. That the Board of Agriculture and Forestry be given full 
power to grant and wtihdraw licenses or permits; make regula- 
tions pertaining to sanitation, technique of milking, method of de- 
livery etc. and that they be vested with full power to carry out 
their regulations ; 

III. That a larger number of Inspectors be employed; 

IV. That better sanitation and more cleanly methods of milk- 
ing be insisted upon. The following are a few rules suggested as 
reasonable and necessary to the production of safe milk : 

(a) Good concrete or wooden floors, free from cracks and 
thoroughly cleaned before or after each milking; 

(b) A special milk room (absolutely clean) at each dairy 
where milk can be cooled and stored until delivery time and 
where milking utensils can be kept after being cleaned ; 

(c) The udders to be washed and dried with clean cloths 
directly before milking, and the milker's hands to be washed be- 
fore milking each cow; 

(d) Milking to be done with dry hands; 

(e) The milking pail to have a small opening (not over 6" in 
diameter) ; 



(f) The cow's tail to he tied during milking, in such a man- 
ner as to prevent her from swishing her tail, and thus dropping 
dirt and excreta into the milk ; 

(g) Immediately after milking, the milk to be cooled with 
tap water circulating through a cooler; 

(h) The milk then to he transported (very soon after milk- 
ing) in sanitary containers;. 

V. We recommend the installing of PASTEURIZING DE- 
POTS (as may be necessary) in different parts of the city; and 
that all milk be pasteurized before delivery to customers, except 
that of a very high standard of purity; the requirements for this 
standard being that : 

(a) The cows and tlic milkers shall be free from contagious 
disease, and 

(b) That the milk on delivery shall not contain mere than 
50,000 bacteria to the cubic centimeter. (Milk of the very best 
quality is generally conceded to be that which contains less than 
10,000 bacteria per cubic centimeter.) 

We recommend pasteurization for all other milk for two main 
reasons: viz. 

1. As long as the City's milk supply is from about forty or 
more scattered dairies, it is impossible to enforce regulations re- 
garding sanitation and cleanly milking; such being the case, the 
milk is sure to be more or less dirty and unwholesome, especially 
for babies; but if such milk be pasturized UNDER PROPER SU- 
PERVISION it will not change perceptibly the character of the 
milk, as regards, for instance, the taste or the rising of the 
cream; but will render it almost as wholesome as the highest grade 
pure milk, because pasteurisation kills practically all of the disease 
germs and poisons which develop in dirty milk. 

2. The second reason for pasteurization is on account of the 
enormous prevalence here of tuberculosis in Cattle, (as evidenced 
by the report of Dr. Norgaard, the Territorial Veterinarian.) 

Pasteurization would effectually kill the tubercular germ. 

VI. That the Pasteurization depots be owned by or under the 
control of the Board of Agriculture and Forestry, and that the milk 



after Pasteurization and cooling to at least 50 degrees F. be de- 
livered in sanitary containers to the consumers. 

We consider it entirely practicable to carry out pasteuriza- 
tion, as suggested, because it has, for a long while, been adopted 
in Germany, Denmark and many other parts of the world. 

VII. The expense of the process should be small and should 
be borne by the Government, as otherwise, it is liable to raise the 
price of milk, thus driving the consumer of small means to de- 
prive his children of cow's milk, and resort to condensed milk; 

VIII. All dairy cows should be tested once a year, at the ex- 
pense of the Goovernment, the Tuberculin test being used; 

IX. That it continue to be the policy of the Board of Agri- 
culture and Forestry to eliminate all tubercular cows from all 
herds ; 

X. That a bacterial count be made, from time to time, of 
the milk from every dairy, without previous notice, and that any 
dairy selling milk with a bacterial count of one million or over 
per cubic centimeter, before Pasteurization, shall have its license 
withdrawn, unless there be improvement in a reasonable length 
of time ; 

The bacteriological test is the best we have as to the purity 
of milk; 

XI. That no dairy be allowed, under penalty of having its 
license or permit cancelled, to sell milk that has a visible sediment 
of dirt, on standing; 

XII. We recommend the passage of a law allowing milk con- 
taining two and one-lialf per cent (2i/^%) of butter fat to be sold. 
The reason for this is : — 

That those dairymen, who desire to produce milk of this sort 
— which if produced in a cleanly manner will be just as pure as 
milk with a higher per cent of butter-fat — may be allowed to do 
so. It is generally conceded that Holstein cows produce milk of 
this sort in greater quantity than other cows do with a higher per 
cent of butter-fat. This will allow the production of more milk 
per cow and thus keep down the price ; 



XIII. A stricter supervision of so called private dairies, 
many of whom, without obtaining a license or permit, are selling 
milk to those outside of their immediate family, thus enjoying a 
privilege which should, as a matter of right, belong to the licensed 
dairymen ; 

XIV. The publication either monthly or quarterly of the re- 
sults of the work of the Bureau of Agriculture , and Forestry in 
the matter of the regulation of dairies. This will educate both 
the dairymen aiid the public as to what is being done. 

These are the recommendations we beg to submit for such ac- 
tion as the Legislature of the Territory of Hawaii and yourself 
may desire to take. We trust, however, such measures as we have 
recommended may be taken, so as to ensure a supply of clean 
milk. 

Here in our beautiful Mid-Pacific Islands, with its climate un- 
excelled, babies should flourish, and the death rate among these 
innocents should be very low; such, however, is not the case. We 
have in Honolulu, a death rate among infants^ exceeding the ave- 
rage for the registration cities on the mainland. In fact exceeding 
the death rate in all but 21 cities on the mainland of the United 
States. Fully 50% of the deaths among babies under one year of 
age are due to Gastro-Intestinal trouble. In these days of conser- 
vation it would seem worth while to conserve what we have in the 
way of human life, by giving these helpless ones a chance to live; 
many lives can undoubtedly be saved if a better standard of milk 
was insisted on for the city. 

In concluding we desire to point out, that while many dairies 
are far below standard, there are some dairymen who are making 
an honest effort, not only to improve their dairies, but also to 
raise the standard of mlik. 

We desire to record our appreciation to the Territorial Vete- 
rinarian, Dr. V. S. Norgaard and his Assistant, Dr. L. N. Case, 
for valuable help and suggestions given to this Commission. 

Respectfully submitted, 

JAS. A. RATH 
W. D. BALDWIN 
F. G. KRAUSg 

10 



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